Latest £158m section of Heads of the Valleys road is opened by Edwina Hart

This press release was published under the 2011 - 2016 Welsh government

The latest stage of the £800million dualling scheme of the A465 Heads of the Valleys road will be officially opened by Minister of Economy and Transport Edwina Hart today.

Monday 28 September 2015

Section three of the A465 dualling scheme, Brynmawr to Tredegar, costing £158million, will improve safety and journey times, as well as boost the economy of the region.

The 7.8km section of road, joint funded by the Welsh Government and the EU, has been upgraded from a three lane road to a dual carriageway to alleviate the current issues of poor visibility, congestion, lack of overtaking opportunities and accident hotspots.

It is part of the £800m Heads of the Valleys project to dual the A465 from Abergavenny to Hirwaun which will boost the local economy and help regenerate the South Wales Valleys.

Mrs Hart said:

“The Welsh Government recognises that improving our transport infrastructure is critical to improving Wales’ economic competiveness. The Heads of the Valleys route is vital to our ambitions for the regeneration of the region by reducing journey times and improving access to jobs and services. The A465 is a crucial artery of our transport network and the principal road link between West Wales and the Midlands. The dualling will also improve safety for all road users.”

The route, backed with £82m from the European Regional Development Fund, extends from the north of the A465 roundabout at Brynmawr and ties in with the previously improved A465 immediately to the west of Nant-y-Bwch junction at Tredegar. The project also includes a 5km surfaced cycleway and a rest area at Garn Lydan with extended parking, tourist information and viewpoints towards the Valleys Regional Park and Brecon Beacons National Park.

Section 3 (Brynmawr to Tredegar) joins the completed Sections 1 (Abergavenny to Gilwern) and 4 (Tredegar to Dowlais Top) in being fully dualled. Section 2 (Gilwern to Brynmawr) is due to be completed in 2018 with the final two, sections 5 (Dowlais to A470) and 6 (A470 to Hirwaun), scheduled for completion by 2020.